Quest Resource Reports Third Quarter 2016 Results

THE COLONY, TX--(Marketwired - November 14, 2016) - Quest Resource Holding Corporation (NASDAQ: QRHC) ("Quest"), a leader in sustainability, recycling, and environmental and resource management, today announced financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2016. Full results can be found in Quest's Form 10-Q.

During the third quarter of 2016, Quest grew revenue to $46.2 million, a $2.6 million, or 5.9%, improvement over the comparable quarter last year. Adjusted EBITDA also continued to improve in each of the first three quarters of 2016. Adjusted EBITDA from the second quarter of 2016 improved 43.0% over the first quarter, and third quarter Adjusted EBITDA improved 22.9% over the second quarter.

2016

Adjusted EBITDA

1st Quarter

$(621,000)

2nd Quarter

$(354,000)

3rd Quarter

$(273,000)

"We are pleased that the initiatives we launched this year are showing positive results," said Ray Hatch, President and Chief Executive Officer, who joined Quest in January 2016. "We have seen improvements in revenue and gross profit for the third quarter and year-to-date periods in 2016 compared with the comparable periods in 2015. Over the past three quarters, we have also consistently improved Adjusted EBITDA, and we are on track to reach our goal of achieving positive Adjusted EBITDA and cash flow for each quarter of 2017. We believe the improvements we are implementing now will be accretive to our business and will improve our gross margins, increase efficiency in our operations, and streamline our cost structure."

In addition to the financial improvements, during the third quarter ended September 30, 2016, Quest bolstered its management team with a new Chief Operating Officer, continued to focus on improving data capture and reporting, and added a large manufacturing company to its portfolio of Fortune 100 companies. In October 2016, Quest added as Chief Operating Officer, David Sweitzer, a strong operations leader with deep experience in the sector and demonstrated success in growing companies and improving shareholder value for outsourced waste and recycling solutions providers nationwide. Mr. Sweitzer brings to Quest his experience as Chief Sales Officer at SMS Assist, a multi-site property management company valued at $1 billion; Director of Business Development at Waste Management; and Client Solutions Vice President at Oakleaf Waste Management. Also in October 2016, Quest announced it will manage the waste and recycling efforts for a global Fortune 100 manufacturing company, which could represent an annualized revenue opportunity of over $50 million.

Ray Hatch said, "We have a tremendous client base, and we look forward to continuing to provide services to them to make them more sustainable and efficient and help them grow. We also look forward to expanding our clients into what today are underpenetrated verticals to leverage our value proposition and improve our gross margins. That is exemplified in our newest Fortune 100 company client, which helps us expand into the industrial manufacturing sector."

During the third quarter of 2016, Quest continued its focus on improving the level of data capture and reporting for its clients and launched a new cloud-based Business Intelligence and Analytics Platform. This platform is intended to significantly enhance our value proposition to both our clients, which have more than 40,000 locations across North America, and our nationwide network of service vendors, which are located in every zip code in the United States.

David Sweitzer noted, "We are developing and implementing technology tools designed to allow us to onboard new clients and vendors without commensurate SG&A increases, and to enhance our scalability while enabling us to serve our existing clients more efficiently and to onboard new clients effectively."

Quest offers an array of waste management and recycling services to clients and is a single vendor point of contact. Quest also provides detailed sustainability reporting for clients both large and small across the retail, automotive, real estate, hospitality, food service, manufacturing and other industries.

In this press release, a non-GAAP financial measure, "Adjusted EBITDA," is presented. From time-to-time, Quest considers and uses this supplemental measure of operating performance in order to provide an improved understanding of underlying performance trends. Quest believes it is useful to review, as applicable, both (1) GAAP measures that include (i) depreciation and amortization, (ii) interest and other expense, (iii) stock-based compensation expense, (iv) income tax expense, and (v) certain other adjustments, and (2) non-GAAP measures that exclude such information. Quest presents this non-GAAP measure because it considers it an important supplemental measure of Quest's performance. Quest's definition of this adjusted financial measure may differ from similarly named measures used by others. Quest believes this measure facilitates operating performance comparisons from period to period by eliminating potential differences caused by the existence and timing of certain expense items that would not otherwise be apparent on a GAAP basis. This non-GAAP measure has limitations as an analytical tool and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the company's GAAP measures. (See attached table "Reconciliation of Net Loss to Adjusted EBITDA.")

About Quest Resource Holding Corporation

Quest provides businesses with one-stop management programs to reuse, recycle, and dispose of a wide variety of waste streams and recyclables generated by their businesses. Quest's comprehensive reuse, recycling, and proper disposal management programs are designed to enable regional and national customers to have a single point of contact for managing a variety of waste streams and recyclables. Quest also operates environmentally based social media and online data platforms that contain information and instructions necessary to empower consumers and consumer product companies to recycle or properly dispose of household products and materials. Quest's directory of local recycling and proper disposal options empowers consumers directly and enables consumer product companies to empower their customers by giving them the guidance necessary for the proper recycling or disposal of a wide range of household products and materials, including the "why, where, and how" of recycling.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which provides a "safe harbor" for such statements in certain circumstances. The forward-looking statements include statements or expectations regarding our belief that the initiatives we launched earlier this year are showing positive results; our belief that the improvements we are implementing now will be accretive to our business and will improve our gross margins, increases efficiency in our operations, and streamline our cost structure; our belief and our new Chief Operating Officer has deep sector experience; our belief that we will provide services that will make our clients more sustainable and efficient and help them grow; our goal of expanding our clients into what today are underpenetrated verticals to leverage our value proposition and improve our gross margins; our belief that our newest client will help us expand into the industrial intention manufacturing sector; our that our new cloud-based Business and Analytics Platform will significantly enhance our value proposition to both our clients and our nationwide network of service vendors; our goal developing and implementing technology tools designed to allow us to onboard new clients and vendors without commensurate SG&A increases and to enhance our scalability which enables us to serve our existing clients, more efficiently and to onboard new clients effectively. These statements are based on our current expectations, estimates, projections, beliefs, and assumptions. Such statements involve significant risks and uncertainties. Actual events or results could differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, competition in the environmental services industry, the impact of the current economic environment, and other factors discussed in greater detail in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including our Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements and to consult our SEC filings for additional risks and uncertainties that may apply to our business and the ownership of our securities. Our forward-looking statements are presented as of the date made, and we disclaim any duty to update such statements unless required by law to do so.

Financial Tables Follow

Quest Resource Holding Corporation and Subsidiaries

OPERATING HIGHLIGHTS

(Unaudited)

(In thousands, except per share amounts)

Three Months Ended

Nine Months Ended

September 30,

September 30,

2016

2015

2016

2015

Revenue

$

46,157

$

43,568

$

138,772

$

125,907

Cost of revenue

42,562

40,049

128,036

115,686

Gross profit

3,595

3,519

10,736

10,221

Selling, general, and administrative

4,923

4,111

14,216

11,794

Depreciation and amortization

1,014

989

3,040

2,940

Total operating expenses

5,937

5,100

17,256

14,734

Operating loss

(2,342

)

(1,581

)

(6,520

)

(4,513

)

Interest expense

(62

)

(73

)

(176

)

(164

)

Income tax expense

-

-

-

-

Net loss

$

(2,404

)

$

(1,654

)

$

(6,696

)

$

(4,677

)

Net loss applicable to common stockholders

$

(2,404

)

$

(1,654

)

$

(6,696

)

$

(4,677

)

Net loss per common share:

Basic and diluted

$

(0.16

)

$

(0.12

)

$

(0.46

)

$

(0.34

)

Weighted average number of common shares outstanding:

Basic and diluted

14,854

13,964

14,560

13,959

RECONCILIATION OF NET LOSS TO ADJUSTED EBITDA

(Unaudited)

(In thousands)

Three Months Ended

Nine Months Ended

September 30,

September 30,

2016

2015

2016

2015

Net loss

$

(2,404

)

$

(1,654

)

$

(6,696

)

$

(4,677

)

Depreciation and amortization

1,052

989

3,126

2,940

Interest expense

62

73

176

164

Stock-based compensation expense

794

306

1,883

932

Other adjustments

223

263

Income tax expense

-

-

-

-

Adjusted EBITDA

$

(273

)

$

(286

)

$

(1,248

)

$

(641

)

BALANCE SHEETS

(In thousands)

September 30,

December 31,

2016

2015

(Unaudited)

ASSETS

Current assets:

Cash and cash equivalents

$

1,874

$

2,989

Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts of $261 and $587 as of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively

32,205

33,299

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

3,103

947

Total current assets

37,182

37,235

Goodwill

58,337

58,337

Intangible assets, net

9,328

11,828

Property and equipment, net, and other assets

2,682

1,609

Total assets

$

107,529

$

109,009

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

Current liabilities:

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

$

34,300

$

34,847

Deferred revenue and other current liabilities

515

329

Total current liabilities

34,815

35,176

Line of credit

3,250

4,000

Other long-term liabilities

403

341

Total liabilities

38,468

39,517

Commitments and contingencies

Stockholders' equity:

Preferred stock, $0.001 par value, 10,000 shares authorized, no shares issued or outstanding as of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015

-

-

Common stock, $0.001 par value, 200,000 shares authorized, 15,263 and 13,974 shares issued and outstanding as of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively, given retroactive effect to the 1-for-8 reverse stock split effective August 10, 2016

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